Hood



H. F. SHAW April 8, 1930.

HOOD

Original. Filed June 6, 1927 .Invenio 2 -Haro Z611 1371 0010,

wry/M? Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD F. SHAW, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGN'OR TO F. A. WHITNEY CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS HOOD Original application filed June 6, 1927, Serial No. 196,934. Divided and'this-application filed January 6,

1928. Serial This invention relates to hoods or canopies for light vehicles, such, for instance, as baby carriages, and the object is to provide a construction for such hoods which will be cheap, durable and attractive and adapted for the realization of various incidental advantages in practice, some of which will appear from the detailed description of an illustrative embodiment which will be given herewith.

The principles of my invention may be well understood by reference to the following description of a single exemplary form thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a portion of a baby carriage body havin a hood applied thereto, the construction of which is illustrative of my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the hood detached.

Baby carriages are ordinarily provided with a top or hood, the shape of which is usually approximately that of a cylindrical sector. As usually constructed a frame has been built and the extended surfaces of the body formed by suitable material applied to this frame, and if the interior is upholstered, the upholstering material is tacked to the frame in accordance with the time honored methods of upholstering furniture and similar articles.

In accordance with my present invention I construct the hood in the form of a shell which in itself is a self-maintaining, resistant structure as contrasted with a covering applied to a framework which is the primary source of strength, and construct this shell to hold the upholstery in a novel manner to provide a finished article of attractive and substantial appearance. Thus, referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the hood 5 may be stamped or drawn from suitable sheet metal, as sheet steel or sheet aluminum, to the desired shape and is herein shown as comprising an approximately cylindrical back 7 and sector-shaped side portions 9. The stamping may be in a single piece, as herein shown,

or the equivalent of a single piece, the walls of the parts being of substantially uniform thickness and the shell 2 by virtue of the with a framed skeleton covered with panels of one material or another.

To finish the edge of the shell and to give it an appearance of bulk and-obviate any tinny eflect the'edges may be rolled over to provide the oppositely facing channels 11, best shown'inFig. 1, which extend substantially to the center or apex of the sector where the metal is conveniently fiat and shaped to form a disc 13 adapted to be clamped between the washers of a clamping device 15 of customary form, which permits the hood to be supported in desired angular position and also in the desired fore and aft adjustment along the rods 17 on whichthe hood may slide, the rods 17 being here shown as riveted to the upper edges of a body 19 which may be of the construction more fully described in my application Serial No. 196,- 934, of which this application is a division. The rolled-over edges of the hood obviously serve also'to reinforce it as a whole.

To finish the hood and to promoteits substantial appearance as a whole the inner portion may be finished with suitable upholstery which preferably takes the form of readily removable panels consisting each of a stiffly flexible backing sheet 21 to which the upholstery fabric proper 23 is applied. The upholstering may include two side panels 25 for the triangular side portions of the hood, the edges of which are received in the oppositely facing channels 11 at the edges of the hood, and a central panel 27 underlying the roof portion of the hood and covering the edges of the side panels 25, as shown in Fig. 2. The edges of panel 27 are likewise received in opposed channels at the margins of the hood and the panel is of such length that when it is forced into position as shown it is bent to the curved contour of the roof of the hood and inherently yieldingly pressed to the form thereof. To contribute to this action the panel may conveniently be reinforced, for instance, by light, flat, metal springs 29 extending from front to back thereof and which are yieldingly tensioned when the panel is swung into place with its edges received in the channel 11.

Such an embodiment of my invention as herein illustrated may be produced very cheaply, but the product may yet have pleasing lines and may be finished attractively as, for instance, by lacquers or enamels. The shell as described is practically indestructible by use as a part of a baby carriage. It has smooth surfaces and is not in its nature a dust or dirt collector. The sanitary feature just referred to is realized fully when the body is equipped with detachable upholstery such as that shown, which in itself is easy to repair and clean. The device may be made of very light weight while yet of ample strength, yet will appear bulky andsubstantial.

It will be understood that the detailed de- I scription which has been given has had for its purpose making clear the construction of the particular form of the invention shown. Obviously the invention may be embodied in widely varied forms and the description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense. That I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent I shall express in the following claim.

Claim:

A baby carriage hood having a .top and sides shaped from sheet metal as a self-contained unitary shell in the form of a cylindrical sector and rolled over to provide channels along its edges, upholstery panels for the sides having opposite edge portions received in said channels, and a panel for the roof overlying the edges of the side panels sprung in position between said edge portions and maintained in said channels by its inherent resiliency.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HAROLD F. SHAW. 

